1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a performance rating device in a cleaning assembly, and more particularly to an apparatus that monitors the performance of a cleaner for an electrophotographic image processing device by monitoring whether all rotational and biasing devices are operating properly, and whether the cleaner is in correct geometric orientation with respect to a substrate being cleaned.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a typical commercial reproduction apparatus or image processing apparatus (electrostatographic copier/duplicators, printers, or the like), a latent image charge pattern is formed on a uniformly charged dielectric member. Pigmented marking particles are attracted to the latent image charge pattern to develop such images on the dielectric member. A receiver member is then brought into contact with the dielectric member. An electric field provided by a met corona charger or an electrically biased roller, is applied to transfer the marking particle developed image to the receiver member from the dielectric member. After transfer, the receiver member bearing the transferred image is separated from the dielectric member and transported away from the dielectric member to a fuser apparatus at a downstream location. There, the image is fixed to the receiver member by heat and/or pressure from the fuser apparatus to form a permanent reproduction thereon.
However, not all of the marking particles are transferred to the receiver member and some remain upon the dielectric member that may include belts or a drum. Therefore, a cleaning assembly is commonly used to remove the excess marking particles. The cleaning assembly usually includes an electrostatic cleaning brush (detoning roller), a skive, and a receptacle to hold the excess marking particles (waste toner material). The elements within the cleaning assembly generally rotate to remove waste particles.
It is important to determine whether the cleaning assembly is operating properly to avoid contamination of the entire image processing apparatus. However, it is difficult to measure the performance of the cleaning assembly. For example, conventional cleaning assembly performance measurements are made using a sophisticated sensor which detects the number of particles remaining on a substrate after the substrate has passed by the cleaning assembly. In conventional structures, measurement of cleaning effectiveness by use of transmission or reflection densitometry of the substrate has a number of disadvantages: First the sensor(s) themselves can be contaminated and a source of reliability degradation. Also these sensors are generally only effective at the detection of catastrophic failures due to the low sensitivity of these sensors. Further, these sensors are generally of high cost, and use of these sensors do not provide any additional information as to the root cause of the cleaning failure. The invention senses the important attributes of the cleaning function and is much more effective than conventional systems that simply measure the effectiveness of the cleaning function.
In view of the foregoing and other problems, disadvantages, and drawbacks of the conventional cleaning assembly the present invention has been devised, and it is an object of the present invention, to provide a structure and method for an improved cleaning assembly.
In order to attain the object suggested above, there is provided, according to one aspect of the invention, an image processing apparatus that includes an image transfer substrate, a cleaner adjacent the substrate, and sensors within the cleaner. The cleaner removes contaminates from the substrate. The sensors detect a position of the cleaner with respect to the substrate, a proper rotation of components within the cleaner, and a proper bias of the components. If the sensors detect an improper position, an improper rotation, or an improper bias, the cleaner is rated unacceptable.
The components include a fiber brush, a detoning roller, and an auger. The fiber brush and the detoning roller are electrically biased to attract the contaminates. The invention includes a skive adapted to remove the contaminates from the detoning roller. The auger transports the contaminates to a storage receptacle after the skive removes the contaminates from the detoning roller. The sensors eliminate the need for sensors associated with the substrate.
The invention provides an image transfer substrate and places a cleaner adjacent the substrate with sensors within the cleaner. The invention removes contaminates from the substrate with the cleaner. The invention detects, with the sensors, a relative position of the cleaner with respect to the substrate. The invention also detects a proper rotation of components with respect to the substrate. Further, the invention detects a proper bias of the components. The cleaner is rated unacceptable if the sensors detect an improper position, an improper rotation, or an improper bias. The invention also detects whether components, including a fiber brush, a detoning roller, and an auger, are rotating properly. The fiber brush and the detoning roller are biased to attract the contaminates.
Therefore, the invention checks the cleaning function by sensing the operation of the subsystems (e.g., release, transport, scavenge, convey, collection) within the cleaning assembly. Thus, the invention checks the rotation of the brush, detoning roller, auger(s). In addition, the invention checks for brush and detone bias voltage. Further, a sensor is used to detect proper spacing and orientation between the cleaner and the substrate. By observing the foregoing features, the invention does not require sophisticated sensors associated with the substrate to measure the effectiveness of the actual cleaning function.